After watching the 2017 NBA Finals, it became evident and obvious that it’s going to take a lot to dethrone a healthy Golden State Warriors team. The Warriors blitzed the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, and dominated each and every team they faced in the playoffs. Quite frankly, Golden State has way too much firepower for any team in the NBA.
However, there is one player that could give some of the top teams in the NBA a shot. That player is Carmelo Anthony. Melo can get 20 points a night in his sleep. Anthony, like Kevin Durant, can score in so many different ways. Can you imagine how good Anthony would be playing with a guy like LeBron James? Do you know how many open looks Anthony would get? It would be a match made in heaven. The Cavs have two guys that can legitimately create their own shot in Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. Against the Warriors, they could have used another guy that can create his own shot. Carmelo Anthony is that guy. Plus, it might not take much to get Melo. Reportedly, Cleveland tried to get Jimmy Butler and Paul George before the draft. The problem? Not enough assets. The lack of assets may not be as much of problem in terms of getting Anthony. According to reports, during the season, the Knicks were willing to trade Melo to the Clippers without getting DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, or Blake Griffin back. With that being said, Melo could possibly be had for very little.
I like to judge players on how well they perform when surrounded by great talent. Melo has won three Olympic gold medals in basketball, and is the all-time leading scorer in Team USA Basketball history. That’s better than LeBron, better than Kobe, and better than Jordan. This proves that when surrounded by great talent, Melo performs at the highest of levels. Plus, it shows he can blend in with a great team.
Finally, Anthony is 33-years-old. He does not have a lot of time to win a title. You put him on a contending team, he will be motivated enough to make it work. Anthony does have a no-trade clause in his contract, and at this point, Melo has expressed a desire to stay in New York. Maybe that changes after Melo realizes that he can’t win in New York.
Other teams that could be an option for Anthony are the San Antonio Spurs, who might unload LaMarcus Aldridge, and could use more firepower. Boston, who could use another big time talent, could be a good destination for Melo as well!
Where will Anthony go? I think it will be Cleveland when it’s all said and done!
